1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for environmentally sealing and securing the interconnection between cables and/or apparatus, for example between two connector terminated cables or the feed and/or control cables interconnected with an antenna.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical interconnections are subject to degradation from environmental factors such as moisture, vibration and repeated expansion and contraction from daily temperature changes.
Environmental seals, such as outer sealing enclosures that surround an electrical interconnection, have been used, for example, to surround a cable end connector to cable end connector interconnection.
The prior enclosures typically apply rigid clamshell configurations which, once closed, may be difficult to open, especially when installed in exposed locations such as atop radio towers. Gaskets may be applied at the enclosure ends and/or along a sealing perimeter of the shell. Gel seals are typically not re-usable and/or have only a limited number of re-uses before they must be replaced.
Connections to an apparatus, for example an antenna, are typically made to a connector body or other connection assembly mounted to an exterior surface of the antenna. Because the connector body or other connection assembly is typically a bulkhead type, flush against a surface, a cable to cable interconnection sealing assembly that tapers at either end to the same cable diameter is unusable.
Elastic body interconnection seals are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,838,775, titled “Cover for Cable Connectors”, issued 23 Nov. 2010, discloses a seal of rubber material, with a series of successively larger diameter bore portions from one end to the other, for sealing against a proprietary connector with a neck portion which extends outward farther than the coupling nut of the connector. Thereby, the largest diameter bore portion seals against the enlarged neck portion of the proprietary connector. However, many connectors utilize standardized connection interfaces wherein the coupling nut extends radially outward from the neck portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,453,042, titled “Cable and Apparatus Interconnection Close Quarters Environmental Seal”, issued 18 Nov. 2008, discloses a seal with a unitary rubber and/or elastomer body cylindrical gasket with a C-shaped outer shell closed by an additional retaining means. The interconnection may be placed into the outer shell and the outer shell then sealed around it, via the retaining means. Such a configuration enables sealing along neck portions of standardized connection interfaces. However, the seal area along the periphery of the C-shaped body is extensive, which may degrade the long term performance of the resulting seal.
Competition within the electrical interface environmental seal industry has focused attention on reliability, re-usability, ease of use, improved high temperature capabilities and overall reductions in manufacturing and installation costs.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a device that overcomes deficiencies in the prior art.